Hand Over Your Sweet Treats!

Writing Prompt:  Thief!

Living in the same house as one's parents has its conveniences.

For instance, I often "steal" from my folks. I even tell them when I'm doing it.

I frequently steal sweets. My father bought some large bags of candy to hand out for Halloween. (We get zero trick-or-treaters at our house. Zero.) We have been eating this candy for the past couple weeks.

I believe I have written before about stealing York Peppermint Patties. Yum....

Sometimes I am a banana thief. Or a milk thief. Or an egg thief. These thieving events happen when Lew and I have put off going to the grocery store by one day too many.

In the summer we have Fred's Fridge in the garage. Dad stocks it with soda, water, and ice cream treats. (He wants people to help themselves, so is that really stealing?)

And my five minutes are up. I will not "steal" extra time today!

World Series Past

One year ago today (a Wednesday) the Boston Red Sox won the 2013 World Series. Last night the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals to win the 2014 World Series. This means the Red Sox are still the most recent American League team to win a World Series. (A significant fact, even if only in my own mind.)

 

Today I "throw back" to the evenings when the Red Sox won their last four championships....

 

1918. I wasn't around for that one.

 

2004. Lew and I watched the end of the deciding game on the TV in our bedroom. After the final out, I leapt out of bed and danced around the room. We then made some celebratory phone calls around the country and watched the post-game festivities. It was a great evening.

 

2007. The Red Sox were on the verge of another World Series sweep, but Lew and I both fell asleep before the game ended. I happened to wake up and thought I saw jumping on the TV. I put on my glasses and realized the Red Sox has just won! I woke up Lew to tell him. We backed up the broadcast in order to watch the final out (with many thanks to the inventor of the DVR) and stayed awake long enough to watch the trophy presentations.

 

2013. We managed to stay awake for this one. It wasn't a really close game, so it was quite relaxing to watch. But it was exciting, too, of course!

 

I did stay up last night until the end of the game. I watched the trophy presentations. Congratulations to the Giants!

Dad 225: Football and Chickens, Of Course!

(Leghorn. Foghorn Leghorn. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! A cloudy, fall day is what we in the Northeast are experiencing. Still waiting for a good frost. Really want the growing season to end. All mowers are put away. The experts tell us we will have a frost the first of next month. Just in time to set the clocks back. (Don't forget!)

Well, Zack's football season is over. They played and lost in the Gold Ball game played in Portland Stadium. Final score: 48 - 30. His eighth grade team lost only two games this year. Both losses were to the champions. A great football year for Zack. Congratulations, Zack!

Josh's high school team lost their first four games. Then a turnaround. They won the next four to qualify for the playoffs. They will play Sanford this weekend in the quarterfinals. They lost to Sanford the first game of the season. Hope for a win and then to the semifinals against the top seed. Stay tuned.

In the last few days we have been visited by chickens. Our neighbors who live two homes away have a flock of chickens. They have been spending the last few days in our yard. (I will admit that we are now on our third bag of cracked corn. Spouse likes to feed "her "chickens.) The flock is really quite spectacular. They are all fine looking birds. There are five white, two brown, and two black. I believe the black are Plymouth Rock and the brown are Rhode Island Red. I don't recall the name of the white, but it rhymes with a cartoon chicken according to Lew. Spouse just entered and said she just fed them. They are eating! It is good that Spouse has some new friends!

Enough information to focus on for today. Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

 

Try to Remember

I had a couple out-of-the-ordinary projects to complete when I got home from work yesterday.

I had just purchased a new pet carrier, which needed to be put together. I completed the assembly, and Jerry walked right into it! The carrier also opens from the top, which will be helpful when trying to get Kurt inside. Kurt does not enjoy the carrier. He will be riding to and from the vet in it tomorrow. (Shhhhh.... don't tell him.)

After many days of contemplation, Lew decided to get a Kindle Fire. We ordered it this weekend and it arrived yesterday. I had it set up for him by the time he got home. (It's pretty cool!)

I spent the remainder of the evening watching a movie and reading.

I slept in later than usual this morning, but I made it to work on time (10:00 AM). I ate a few pieces of chopped fruit after I'd been there for a bit. It was then I realized that I forgot to eat dinner last night! (Lew had eaten on his own.) But did I really forget to eat dinner? I still haven't figured that out for sure! Oh, dear.

To do:  1) Remember to eat dinner. 2) Remember eating dinner.

When Underwhelming Content Becomes Overwhelming

Media content.

There's just way too much!

It's overwhelming me.

I try to follow several things on the Internet.

When keeping up starts to seem like a chore (you may read that as, "I dread it"), then I know it's time to pare back.

I just did a purge this weekend.

I "unsubscribed" from a few blogs.

I "hid" some Facebook pages.

Then I sighed in relief and relaxed.

I'm feeling good about it now.

Really good!

A Haircut, Baseball, a Blog Post, and a Certain Kitty

After experiencing a few days of rain, we are having a beautiful Saturday. It was warm enough at noon for Lew and I to go outside on the deck so that I could cut his hair. (There is always lots of excitement around here, let me tell you!)

Have I mentioned before that Saturday is now laundry day? Well it is indeed laundry day. (More excitement.)

The World Series began Tuesday night. I am rooting for the Royals, but I am not going to be devastated if they lose. They are ahead in the series at this point, 2-1, so they have a good shot at it. (It is nice that my stomach is free from the gymnastics of last year. You may recall that my beloved Red Sox played in -- and won! -- the 2013 World Series. My stomach did somersaults while watching those games.)

On Wednesday I wrote a blog post for my church's women's ministry blog. I shared my goal of memorizing the entire book of Ephesians. You can read the post by clicking *HERE*.

Kurt the cat has resumed peeing on the living room carpet. I'm going to call the vet to make sure he doesn't have an infection. He seems in pretty good spirits, so I'm thinking he's fine. But we are wondering if he's mad that I'm out of the house more than I used to be. Sorry, kitty. Anyway, Kurt is fortunate that we love him and are willing to replace the flooring in our living room if it comes to that. (Lew and I were just talking about how having cats complicates our lives a bit. But it's also a lot more fun with them around.)

Another Summary Saturday post is now in the books. That's a wrap.

A Happy Airline Baggage Story

Writing Prompt:  Baggage.

I know the word "baggage" is often used to refer to emotional issues and the like. I really don't want to write about that kind of baggage. So....

On a trip home to Maine (when I lived in Kansas), I had a connecting flight in Chicago, I think. When I got to the gate, I saw that there was an earlier flight to Portland than the one I was ticketed for. This earlier flight got in around 8:30 p.m., which was a much better time than my midnight ETA.

I asked if there were any available seats on the earlier flight. The attendant wasn't sure yet, but they took my name and told me to be listening for it. If they could get me on the earlier flight, then they would -- but my checked baggage wouldn't arrive until the later flight. That was fine with me! (These were the days when making flight changes were much easier.)

I made a phone call to my parents. "If you don't hear back from me, pick me up at the airport at 8:30 p.m."

I got a seat on the earlier flight at the last minute. When I arrived in Portland, I went to the baggage claim to let the desk know I would be back the next day to pick up my luggage. Before I got to the counter, I glanced at the baggage claim carousel. What do you think I saw?

The first bag out was mine! Somebody was on the ball.

Thus ends my happy airline baggage story.  :)

An Almost-70-Year-Old Photograph

During Dad's search for his "greek god" picture several weeks ago, we came across several other photos that I decided would make good TBT fodder.

Here is one of my beautiful mother as a child. I've included the note my grandmother wrote on the back.

If I didn't know this was a picture of my mother, I would have thought it was my sister Kim. The resemblance is that strong!

Port Deposit, Maryland.

Dad 224: A Blah Bloggy Day

(I am questioning the sincerity of Dad's "Bring it on!" comment regarding winter, but I do hope you enjoy reading his post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! The morning is dark, dreary, and rainy! This storm is supposed to last through Friday. Well, I planned on the bad weather and will be housebound for the next few days. (Another example of my superior planning.) Hope the sun shines again on Saturday. Stay tuned for weather report next week.

Well, I had a good week. The Patriots beat the Jets. Indianapolis won. Josh's team won another game and Zack's team won their playoff game. Zack will play for the championship this weekend. They will play the only team that beat them this year. We are hoping for a different result, but quite happy to play in the "Gold Ball" game. Go, Josh and Zack!

All my pre-winter duties are now done. The winter door is now back on. The motorcycles are stored. The car is back in the garage, and the plow has been inspected and is set to go. The change of hydraulic fluid is complete. Winter, we are ready! Bring it on!

I'm not happy about the results of the first World Series game. I have nothing against the San Francisco Giants but would like to see Kansas City win. Doesn't look too promising now. Go, Royals!

The day is "blah" and so is my blog! So I'm done before it gets worse. Soooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

NaNo or Not NaNo?

I have a decision to make over the next 10 days: Do I want to participate in NaNoWriMo this year?

I signed up to do it last year, but I got quite behind on my word-count (need to total 50,000 words over the month of November). So I ended up abandoning the effort early.

I would like to write a novel.

I really would.

Or perhaps, I would like to have written a novel. (That's closer to the truth!)

This year, if I start NaNoWriMo, I want to finish NaNoWriMo.

To do:

1. Determine idea for novel by October 31st.
2. If did #1, then sign up for NaNoWriMo.
3. If did #2, then write, write,WRITE!!!

I Did Not See That Coming

Lew and I enjoy watching most of the "Masterpiece Mystery" offerings on PBS. We just watched a couple Miss Marple episodes (Season 7), which are based on books by Agatha Christie. The episode titled "Endless Night" had one of those twists that surprised both Lew and me....

As in, "We did not see that coming."

I won't write any spoilers here (watch the show!), but it did make me think of other movies that I've seen with interesting twists:

• No Way Out
• The Sixth Sense
• A Beautiful Mind
• The Game
• The Prestige

And, of course, there's the plot twist of all plot twists:  Psycho.  A real classic, indeed.

Weather, Walks, Work, Wins, World (Series)

With the exception of some rain showers, we had a pretty nice week in the weather department.

It was so warm today that Lew and I were able to take an early-afternoon walk without wearing jackets. (I started out with one, but I had to remove it.) We walked down to the Eastern Trail and looked out over the marsh. It was lovely. Walking back to the house seemed like a chore (tired legs!) but we made it.

I also took a walk Monday morning with my friend Ellen. It was chillier that day (needed hats and gloves) but the sun was still shining bright. Ellen and I hardly walked together all summer, so we laughed about finally getting out in mid-October.

The remainder of the week was spent working at the sandwich shop, meeting friends for a late lunch, and fighting off a headache. I won the headache battle in that it didn't keep me home from anything. But it did wear me out. I wanted to watch baseball and football on Thursday night, but I conked out early. Too tired!

Regarding baseball: I was hoping for the St. Louis/Kansas City match-up, although I will certainly enjoy watching San Francisco/Kansas City. I will be rooting for Kansas City to win the World Series....

Go, Royals!

Once Upon an Amusement Park Ride

Writing Prompt:  A hotel story.

In this case, the word "story" could refer to a building level or a tale. I don't really want to write about a building, so I'll tell a tale....

The following is true.

When Suzy and Barry lived in the Midwest, they took their church youth group to an amusement park.  I went along as an additional chaperone. (I was either visiting or also living in the area. Some of the details are a bit fuzzy.)

This outing required staying overnight at a motel. (Okay, I know the prompt says "hotel." Humor me.)

All of the guys stayed in one room.  There were two rooms for the girls. The original plan was that Suzy and I would split up and each stay with half of the girls.

The girls all wanted to stay in the same room. (I can't remember how many there were, but I remember thinking the idea was insane.)  They insisted, however, so they got their way.  I think we put them in the middle of the three adjacent rooms.

This means that Suzy and I got to room together.  Ahhh... peace and quiet... except for the fact that I was sick from the amusement park rides!  So it was probably good that the rooming situation worked out the way it did.

And my five minutes were up a little bit ago, but I had to finish my story.  :)

A Pennsylvania Pic

On October 11, 1997, my cousin Harry married his beautiful bride, Donna.  (I readily came up with this date because Donna recently posted it on Facebook!)

On this TBT, I am sharing a photo taken on that special day. The front row is made up of four siblings (the fifth, Tommy, was not able to attend the event). The back row is made up of three sisters, who are cousins to the front row.

Front (l to r):  Laura, Harry (the groom!), Gina, Michael.
Back (l to r):  Debbie, Tracy (me!), Kim

Laura passed away not long after this, so the above photo is pretty special.  It's the last time we were all together.

I don't get to see these cousins very often due to geographical distance, but they hold a special place in my heart.  Love!

Dad 223: Excitement for Pepper

(I had pretty much the same schedule today as yesterday: work, lunch with a friend, and now baseball. One big difference is that it's Derf Wednesday, and Dad remembered to write something! Enjoy his post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Sitting here on the couch with Pepper getting ready to enjoy a second day of summer weather in early Fall. We hit 72° yesterday on the coast and we hope to repeat that today. Then rain tomorrow and the temps will fall. Think I'll mow the lawn today for the last time this season. Hope for a hard frost soon to completely stop the growing season. A frost has reached the state with the exception of the coast. Must store mowers in the trailer for the winter. Then we can rearrange the motorcycles and put the 'cah' in the garage.

So far, I've found no mice in the motor compartment of the pickup. I think the mice have the message: Infiltrate and you die!

Good news on the football front. Zack's eighth-grade team won their first playoff game this past weekend. He will play again this weekend with the winner playing in the championship game. Josh's high school team continues to improve and they won again. They could possibly win the next two and make the playoffs. They must win both games. We'll see!

Pepper just left me and is now sitting on the back of the couch looking out the window. Happy viewing! Not too much excitement to see! At 17, Pepper doesn't need much excitement. Same for me also.

I went into a store the other day and they were putting up their Christmas stuff. Seems to be rushing the season as we still have to get through Halloween and Thanksgiving. I guess it is never too early for Christmas.

Pepper just crawled down my chest and is now back with me resting on the arm of the couch.

Seems like a good time to wrap this up and pet my furry friend. Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

It Slipped My Mind

I met a friend for a late lunch after I got off work today.

I got home in time to start watching the Cardinals/Giants playoff game, which just ended.

I am now preparing to watch the Orioles/Royals game.

But, wait....

What about my blog?

I forgot all about it until just now!

I'm not feeling particularly creative, so I'll just leave it at that for today.

Thanks for checking in. :)

To-do: Remember to post on blog.

Columbus Day Closing

Media Monday is superceded by some transitional news:  Southern Maine has closed for the season. (That's not entirely true, of course.  It just seems like it.)

Although summer has been officially over for several days, there were still some remnants kicking around. Pier Fries, Bill's Pizza, and the Dairy Corner were all open.

And those three places were still open today. (I know this because Lew and I went to all of them.)

But tomorrow? None will be open. Not until Spring 2015.

Winter is on its way.

Bummer.

Excuse me while I go roll up the sidewalks....

Routine

What I did this week:

Church, housechurch, watch football, watch baseball, doctor appointment, work, read, eat, sleep, laundry, other incidentals....

About to add a babysitting gig to the list.

But first, a cup of hot cocoa is in order.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Two Bugs in a Rug...?

Writing Prompt:  Two Peas in a Pod.

I often think of Lew and me as "two peas in a pod."

There are several reasons for this:

• We are married to each other.
• We are both introverts.
• We both prefer home above any other place.
• We like a lot of the same TV shows.
• We both enjoy watching sports.
• We both like to read.
• Our favorite person to hang out with:  Each other!

But there is one major reason that I don't usually refer to us as "two peas in a pod":

• Lew hates peas!

Awwww.... Weren't They Cute?

Busy day today:  Worked, got a haircut, and visited Verlie.  Tonight we have our housechurch group meeting.  So once again, I am thankful that I can do a quick post for Throwback Thursday.  (I do feel like I'm cheating on my blogging a bit, but my guilt level is low... very low.)

I took this picture of Debbie and her boys over 11 years ago.  I've always loved it!

Debbie cuddling Zack (left) and Josh after a dip in the pool.

Dad 222: Of Mice and Man, Part 2

(It's mid-afternoon as I type this, and the sun indeed did win. Beautiful day. Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! It seems that the sun is making an attempt to ward off the rainy morning. It sure looks like the sun will win out. We hope! Brighter by the minute.

I have two goals to accomplish each morning. I always check the obituaries on the computer. I've been doing this for many months now. This past week I've added the second goal. I check the engine compartment of my pickup to see if the mice have gone for good. (See last week's post.) I have not found any sign of mice for one week. I guess the capture of the two by trapping last week has won the war. I will continue to check on a daily basis to see that none return. I will kill any family members that dare to move in. You have been warned! Don't come back!

Good news on the football front. Josh's high school team won their game last Friday evening quite handily (34-6). Zack's eighth-grade team completed the season with a win. They start the playoffs this weekend. Hope both can win again this week.

The Patriots finally looked like a football team. Hope it lasts. Go Pats!

Congratulations to Kansas City, Baltimore, St. Louis, and San Francisco as their baseball teams are now playing to make the World Series. I'll be watching but not really cheering for any particular team. Ho-hum.

According to my proofreader and editor, my time is up. Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

A Time to Read, A Time to Nap

So it's Tuesday, and that means I'm supposed to write about something on my to-do list.

May I add, "Take a nap" to that list?  If so, that is what I want to write about! So I will.

The change of seasons, late nights of baseball playoff games, and my new job routine have all added up to my eyes wanting to slam shut right now. I mean it. I can hardly keep my eyes open.

And as tempting as a nap sounds, I don't really want to take one! What I would like to do is sit with a cup of hot cocoa and finish the novel I'm currently reading. I could effort that, I suppose. But if I find that I need to read the same paragraph four times, then the nap will win.

I do like reading on my Kindle right before bedtime. I use a larger font, so it is easy on my eyes. And when I start to read the same paragraph four times, I know that it's time to shut down. (It's interesting to see how far back I need to start the next time I pick the book up. Sometimes I find that I really didn't comprehend a full ten pages!)

To do:  Read.  Drink cocoa.  Try to stay awake.  Take nap if necessary.

Utilizing Our DVR

Now that the fall season is upon us, Lew and I find that our DVR is filling up faster than it did during the summer.  New episodes of our shows are finally airing again!

TV shows that we still watch and enjoy:

• Castle
• Person of Interest
• The Middle
• Last Man Standing
• Elementary (although no new episodes yet)
• Masterpiece Mystery

We are doing what we can to watch a show here and there, but baseball is taking priority. (We are really behind on Masterpiece Mystery; there are several "Miss Marple" episodes waiting for us.) Watching the baseball playoffs is fun this year -- and not nearly as stressful as if the Red Sox were playing!

October Baseball Musings

It's been a week of work, church events, and baseball.

I wrote about a specific MLB playoff game yesterday. Today I want to share my analysis of the potential World Series match-ups, particularly what would make each one interesting.

I just drew this rough sketch. If you follow baseball, then you will know which teams I am referring to. (If you don't follow baseball, then you may not care about this post anyway!)

 

Key:

Best Records. Best regular-season record in their league.

Wild Cards. I hope this one is self-explanatory.

Geog. Geography. Teams that are close to each other, and may share some of the same fans.

Coast 2 Coast. Teams that are on opposite sides of the continental USA.

2013. Both of these teams were favored to beat the Red Sox in their respective playoff series last year. But as we know, my beloved Red Sox won it all. ("No comment" regarding 2014....)

 

Yes, I know that I left seven squares empty. (Feel free to offer suggestions on why those match-ups would be interesting!)

And in case you're wondering, I'm not rooting for one match-up over the other. But if I had to pick which one, I'd say Kansas City vs. St. Louis, due to my years spent living in the Midwest (both Kansas and Missouri).

Ahhhh... October baseball. :)

A Questionable Pitching Change

I am making up my own writing prompt today: Baseball managing.

It is post-season baseball time. Each game is important.

I just watched the last few innings of game 2 of the ALDS, Detroit at Baltimore. Detroit was ahead 6-3 going into the bottom of the 8th inning, but ended up losing 7-6.

Detroit's relief pitcher had pitched a couple really clean innings, but the manager took him out of the game after the 7th inning. My question is, "Why not put him back out there for the 8th and wait to take him out when he gives up a hit or a walk?"

I just told my parents that if I had been the Detroit manager for just that one decision, Detroit probably would have won the game!

Neither Detroit nor Baltimore are my team, so it's okay with me whoever wins. I just don't understand the "over-managing" that sometimes takes place in baseball.

And my five minutes are up.

Two Cats in the Window

Busy day today, so this will be brief. It is Throwback Thursday anyway, so a picture will suffice, right?

Regular readers of this blog know that Pepper the cat almost "ceased to be" about a month ago. But due to veterinary science (and some of my parents' cash), she is still with us!

Here is my favorite photo of Pepper and her old friend, Bagheera. (Our current cat Jerry looks a lot like Bagheera, whom we still miss.)

Bagheera and Pepper - two sweet cats.

Dad 221: Of Mice and Man

(Dad wrote out today's post on three pages of yellow-lined paper. His note to me at the bottom of page #3: "Tracy - Sorry so long, but the story must be told!" Enjoy! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Not enjoying a cloudy, cool, dismal, drizzly day in the Northeast. We don't have a choice, so we'll live with it. No like, though!

A while back I had a truck that would not start. Found out a relay was bad so it was replaced. (Had no prior trouble like this for years.) Well, about six months later, I had the same problem. Replaced the relay and purchased one to carry with me.

All was well until returning home one day from a dump run. My dash lit up and a message told me to "service my 4-wheel drive". When I turned the key off the truck would not shut off. The problem was that I needed to replace the relay (fuse) panel located under the hood. It seems I had a mouse infestation and the critters totally destroyed the panel. The local Chevrolet dealer had the necessary part on its shelf and said this problem was not unique. The panel was replaced, costing a few hundred dollars.

Just last week, I decided to service the truck so as to mount my plow and have it checked out for free at a local truck center. (They do a pre-check every fall and replace all fluids.) While servicing the truck I decided to check the fuse panel. Guess what we found? A lot of mouse droppings, along with the hole that allows the pesky pests to live with the fuses.

The war is now on. I opened the panel and covered the fuses with a dryer sheet and a box of D-Con. The next morning I found the poison had been disturbed and more mouse droppings. I moved the truck and set the same trap. (I used dryer sheets because the Internet said this sometimes works as a deterrent.) The next morning I found the same results, even though the truck was moved at least 50 feet.

I decided to use stronger methods to control (kill) the beasts. Son-in-law Lew told me to use a mouse trap. So I bought a two-pack mouse trap at Ace Hardware. Yesterday morning I found one mouse dead. I replaced the trap and checked it out early last evening. Found another mouse. Reset the trap and checked this morning. No new customers. Have I got them all? I don't know, but there are two less mice living in the motor compartment of my truck.

I will leave a crumpled-up dryer sheet plugging the hole to the fuse panel and will also keep trap and D-Con available for a couple more days. I do not wish to replace the fuse panel.

Hopefully I will have no more problems!

Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!